Bobtail's sketchbook

**bobtail** · July 26th, 2011, 03:59 PM

Hello

Thank you for visiting my sketchbook! I'm a 23 year old game developer from the UK. My goal is to be a concept artist, so I'm slowly struggling towards that.

Crits, advice and motivational comments VERY much appreciated. I want to learn and improve.

New stuff at the end!!!

**bobtail** · July 26th, 2011, 04:05 PM

Some sketches to start off

**Naidy** · July 26th, 2011, 04:08 PM

Liking what I see so far, hope to see more soon! Keep up the good work

**bobtail** · July 27th, 2011, 06:06 PM

Thanks Naidy

.

Few more sketches - didn't get much time today. The first was using a reference of Grunt from Mass Effect.

**Gisaiagami** · July 27th, 2011, 07:21 PM

hai, welcome

like the eye D: is amazing. And sketch study too

**bobtail** · July 28th, 2011, 04:04 PM

A couple of really quick landscape studies, because I'm really bad at them! About 15 minutes each, from reference.

**bobtail** · August 2nd, 2011, 05:26 PM

Don't seem to be getting much time at all recently. Some sketches of a semi-aquatic race I am designing, thinking about how they would look different to each other.

**bobtail** · August 4th, 2011, 04:05 PM

Some sketches for this week's C.O.W. Not really happy with any of them, or my progress recently. Have a long way to go!

**bobtail** · October 9th, 2011, 02:14 PM

Back after a long break!

Trying to work on my design, going through some old Chows for inspiration :p. This one is a kind-of steampunk dragon hunter. Planning more sketches for the thumbnails to push my design more.

**Revidescent** · October 9th, 2011, 02:27 PM

Some interesting designs in here! I love your silhouettes, but they seem to lose something once you get to the full designs. I think part of it is just kind of an awkward tilt - in the latest one, the silhouette reads as though the character is facing more to the left, but when you draw it in, they're facing more forward. Maybe some more thought about local value would also help it read better.

And some tips on the landscapes - they're really not that bad, but they're missing a certain sharpness. Try using some more opaque brushes, at least in spots, to really carve out the edges.

**bobtail** · October 9th, 2011, 05:06 PM

Another sketch for the silhouettes above. Working on Revidescent's feedback and moved her to face more to the side.

Revidescent: Thanks for the feedback

. I agree that my silhouette lost something in the final one - I couldn't quite place what it was though. With the landscapes, I will try using harder brushes next time. Landscapes in general are completely overwhelming to me when I try and paint them, so I was just trying to get the basics (i.e. something that looks like a landscape at all!).

**bobtail** · October 16th, 2011, 11:14 AM

Not sure if my posts are getting through because apparently they have to be moderated before posting

, but here goes!

Another sketch on a different silhouette and some general sketches for the silhouettes I liked. Trying to loosen up my design cause I get hung up on detail easily.

**bobtail** · October 16th, 2011, 11:18 AM

Hm, turns out it was just one post a few days ago that didn't get through.

Revidescent: Thanks for the feedback

. I agree that my silhouettes do tend to lose something when I start working on them more. I couldn't quite place why for that one though, so I tried doing a sketch with her facing more to the side like you said and I think it improved a bit. As for the landscapes, I will try using some harder brushes. Landscapes in general are so overwhelming to me - I just don't know where to start so I was trying to get the basic shapes and colours!

**krysjez** · October 16th, 2011, 11:30 AM

I haven't much experience with landscape either but if you use a squarish-edged brush (instead of a round one) it's more like painting with flats and makes things easier.
you've fixed the tilt issue!

I understand the prosthetic legs but they make me a bit uneasy like in the post immediately above. it gives me the impression that the hip is tilted out too much and that balance is a little off - I know it's not, but intuitively it feels like that.

**bobtail** · October 17th, 2011, 06:04 PM

Thanks for the comment Krysjez

. I'll try out the square edged brushes next time. I generally use them for sketching cause I prefer them to the round-edged ones but I think I was too nervous to go for it on the landscapes!

Not really feeling it today. Here's a colour rough for one of the above sketches and a random sketch from imagination.

**bobtail** · November 14th, 2011, 06:05 PM

Just trying to relax and see what comes out for once

Vaguely used a b+w reference for the face.

**peterhurman** · November 14th, 2011, 06:34 PM

that last portrait turned out pretty good.

with what you said about you being weaker on landscapes, the only way to get better at them is to practice them. Its hard to avoid environments if you are aiming for concept art i think. But pretty goos so far

**bobtail** · November 15th, 2011, 04:10 PM

Thanks peterhurman

. Taking a look at your work your environments look really good - you're right, the only way I can get better at them is to practice them.

Just something from my imagination tonight.

Edit: taking the shading out of the clothes because it just looked wrong!

**bobtail** · December 15th, 2011, 05:55 PM

So I start on my journey of learning to paint environments >.<

Omitting the absolutely terrible one I started before this. This is unfinished (going to spend a bit more time on the foreground). Shamefully this took almost an hour... Colour-picking from a reference (I'm not sure if that's bad? I'm trying to use it to learn, by noting that the colours are often not what I'd expect).

I guess I'll get faster and better with A LOT more practice

.

**bobtail** · December 18th, 2011, 06:25 PM

Some sketches for this weeks CHOW. Don't think I'll use any of them - I can't seem to do 'mean' looking. They both just look a bit laid-back and cuddley...

**tronrobot** · December 18th, 2011, 08:21 PM

Like this one http://attachments.conceptart.org/fo...1&d=1321391608
great start keep it up yo!

**JuiceHS** · December 19th, 2011, 03:07 PM

Very kool stuff...I really like the thumbnail silhouettes..Keep posting

**bobtail** · December 29th, 2011, 04:52 PM

Thank you very much for commenting!

Started this today - nothing really specific in mind, just seeing where it goes! Also practicing starting from a silhouette - usually I sketch over it but this time I went straight in with colours.

**bobtail** · January 10th, 2012, 05:25 PM

Just randomly sketching. About an an hour and a half on this one.

**lenzerwin** · January 10th, 2012, 05:43 PM

I like the iridescent quality of the colors and flesh tones in post 16.

**bobtail** · January 27th, 2012, 05:30 PM

Thanks lenzerwin

.

Decided to enter this weeks creature of the week, and determined to get it finished in time for the poll this time! Sketches and my first WIP below - I think my lack of experience at drawing creatures is showing through

.

EDIT: looking at the colour rough, I think I might go back and do it in black and white and then put the colour over it to not confuse myself with values and colour at the same time :|.

**CarbonBased** · January 27th, 2012, 09:13 PM

#16 and #19 are just great.
You are already quite a few steps into your journey. Keep at it and I can't wait to see some more work.

**Hunin** · January 28th, 2012, 01:30 PM

With the creatures, try doing a lot of rough silhouettes or get different ideas down some how, before you decide on a final design. It also helps to look at real animals and think about the structure of the animal underneath- then twist and apply it to your ideas.

BTW good start by the way, keep posting and post more often if you can

**bobtail** · January 29th, 2012, 05:44 PM

CarbonBased: Thank you! As I said in your sketchbook, your stuff is looking good!

Hunin: Thanks very much for the good advice

. I will certainly work on silhouettes and studying real animals.

Trying to focus more on my creature design, so working on silhouettes as suggested by Hunin

. I wasn't really sure where to start so I watched this really helpful video by Mike Corriero. Had a go at the techniques he described... mine kind of look like bad rip-offs of his, but it was a lot of fun! More practice needed

.

Also, installed Painter 12 today - as a Photoshop user it's amazing, but overwhelming! Really excited though

**bobtail** · February 1st, 2012, 04:44 PM

Just sketching to get used to Painter. Really loving the pencils!

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